From Lipsyy : I started doing ‘lazy Saturday reviews’ as a way of getting reviews done in just 30 mins, and they proved to be quite popular. They are quick and snappy, and concentrate less on the plot (or content) and writing and more on my overall feelings about said book. They generally end up being a bit of a rant. My fave!

Three British couples meet around the pool on their Florida holiday and become fast friends. But on Easter Sunday, the last day of their vacation, tragedy strikes: the fourteen-year-old daughter of an American vacationer goes missing, and her body is later found floating in the mangroves. When the shocked couples return home to the U.K., they remain in contact, and over the course of three increasingly fraught dinner parties they come to know one another better. But they don’t always like what they find. Buried beneath these apparently normal exteriors are some unusual kinks and unpleasant vices. Then, a second girl goes missing, in Kent—not far from where any of the couples lives. Could it be that one of these six has a secret far darker than anybody can imagine?

Ambitiously plotted and laced with dark humor, Rush of Blood is a first-rate suspense novel about the danger of making new friends in seemingly sunny places.

Rush of Blood … The perfect title for this novel!

I will keep things short!

This was my *coughs* first Mark Billingham novel.

I know, I know!!! What was I thinking? But the problem is solved and now I am eagerly expecting my next read from this well-known author!

Florida. I have never been appealed by the place. Mosquitoes, alligators, high temperatures. Yikes! But the author captured the place in a way that made me understand why people are so keen to get there. Unless of course, there is a murder.

And a murder you will find here! But it is not the only ‘surprise’ you get from Mr Billingham. Brits on a sunny beach. Three couples, very different, all seemingly happy. Each part gives you more hints and snippets of those characters’ lives, both in Florida and at home in the UK. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t smiling every time a part of London I know was mentioned. To me, it added a touch of realism that kept me drawn to the story.

Back to the humans bringing this story to life. What a bunch! Fate has them at the same place when a young girl disappears. Witness statement taken, they think the only thing they are bringing back to England is a list of email addresses and the promise to keep in touch.

How sweet. And utterly naïve.

Through their meetings and dinner, we get to know them better, observe behaviours and look for hints of what has turned them into the people they are today. I admired the way the author kept me in the dark, always wondering who was hiding what. Thrown between slices of their life is another voice. A killer’s voice. Chilling, nothing is left to chance as they try to explain the reasons behind a disappearance … a murder. Nearing the end of the novel, I couldn’t figure out who the culprit was and, frustrated as I was, I must thank the author for challenging me this way!

The writing flows nicely and keeps you on your toes. This novel is light on the creepy side, which makes for a nice break from my usual creepy-stories-binge-reading, but it doesn’t take away the gripping aspect of Rush of Blood. My brain did its workout trying to find the solution to this mystery. Did it work? Nope! I failed! But I LOVED IT!

I’d totally recommend Rush of Blood for a nice holiday break. You’d love looking suspiciously at the people next to you and wonder if what they’d be capable of!

I’m off to get more novels from Mr Billingham! And you can find Rush of Blood on Amazon and it good bookstores!!

Fab review Meggy. I really like the sound of this one especially because you mentioned that it kept you guessing and I love the fact that it also sounded so realistic. Adding it to my ever growing TBR 🙂